Torchwood: Trinity
by Kamiko Hanakuro
Summary: A string of murders in the US leads to something more. Old friends and new foes make their appearance. Jack/Ianto/OC
1. Chapter 1

This story has been raging around in my head for the past week and I had to write it down.

-.-.-.-.-

Jack rolled his shoulders and streched. Flying was still not his favorite method of travel ... flying in a plane, that was.

"Ah, Captain Harkness.", a stocky young man greeted him, when he came out of the gate. "William Gates, UNIT.", he held out his hand, which Jack shock. "I am glad you came.", the way Mr. Gates spoke made Jack cringe. Kind of breathless and with an almost leery undertone.

The presence of Torchwood had been requested in the US because of a certain matter. A string of death of ... questionable origin was troubling the west coast and obviously the american authorities where at a loss.

Hoisting his bag on his shoulder, Jack followed Gates through the packed airport to a black limousine. "Nice.", he comented and waggled his eyebrows at the tall, slender driver, who gave him a lopsided grin and opened a door.

Gates, obviously not pleased by beeing ignored shoved past the driver and took his place beside Jack in the back. "I am terribly sorry, that I can't offer you some time to rest. The others are already assembled."

The 'others', Jack assumed where the UNIT agents working on the case ... but he was only partially right, he learned, when walking into the small conference room, that UNIT had claimed for themselves.

In one corner of the room stood, tall and pale as ever, someone he hadn't expected to ever see again. Aside from a rather masculine looking UNIT agent, she was the only woman in the room, her red hair, though pulled back tightly into a bun at the nape of her neck glinted bright red in the californian sun, streaming through the windows. Her face was unmoving, like white marble, but her green eyes danced with a well-known fire.

"... and this is Ylva Quinn", Jack had obviously missed the introductions and only the familiar name snapped him out of it. "I know.", he said, giving her a toothy grin.

"Captain Jack Harkness.", she said, pronouncing his name sharply. Her accent definitely brittish with that hint of something else. "Torchwood, eh?", she cocked her head and jutted her chin out, a onesided grin tugging at her lips. He knew that pose, she was teasing him. "If that isn't trusting the cat to keep the cream!"

His stomach did a sudden backflip. If she was here ...

It must have shown on his face, because she straightened up and her shoulders squared, an unmistakable nod and Jack felt like doused in icewater. Not good, so very not good.

Gates cleared his throat noisily and Jack turned to the rest of the room, everyone was looking at him. Slightly sheepishly, he took a seat beside the limo-driver from earlier, who leaned in and whispered: "Know Quinn?" He had a somewhat asian appearance and his eyes where black as night. Not bad, Jack thought.

"Yeah, why?"

The driver shook his head slightly. "She comes barging in here three days ago, with her boy-toy-assistant and takes over. Who is she?"

"To be honest", Jack leaned in a little more "I have not the faintest idea."

"Captain Harkness, if you could stop seducing Mr. Franklin, I would like to begin.", again, Ylvas face was impassive, but her eyes broadcasted her amusement quite clearly.

"Well, nobody else worth seducing here.", he shot back and raised an eyebrow at her. His grin could as well have been the proverbial gauntlet.

"Way to make friends, Harkness.", she snarked, her eyes saying: "Game on, Harkness."

That was always the way it went, when they met. It was always nigh on the end of the world and he could not stop himself from flirting with her, his heart beating faster at just one look from those sea-green eyes. Was that how people felt around him?

He had read the file. Every victim was missing a certain piece of brain, obvously extracted through a hole at the base of the scull, about one inch in diameter, rugged edges. There was not much new in what Ylva explained, so he busied himself with watching her.

She hadn't changed ... she never did. Still pale, almost a bit sicklish looking. Her skin was so translucent, one could see blue veins through it in places. She was dressed in a plain, black shirt, that hugged her curves so perfectly, he wondered if there where tailored t-shirts. Her black cargo-pants rode low on her hips and gave him nasty thoughts.

He watched her hands. She had such expressive ... his thoughts stalled. The two inch wide metal cuff she was usually wearing around her left wrist was missing. He had never seen her without it. In fact, he wasn't sure, if there was a way to get it off. More than once had he studied it at night, when she lay in his bed or he in hers. It was one solid piece of smooth, silvery metal, that always felt cold, whenever it had touched his skin.

When asked about the cuff, she had once told him, that it was her leash. The smile on her face was such pure, painful sadness, that he had never asked again. But now, the leash was gone. Fascinated, he stared at the blank skin peaking from under the long sleeves of her shirt. He knew, that an inch above the hem of that shirt started an intricate tattoo, which traveled all the way up her arm, over her shoulder, down the left side of her back and towards her left nipple. He shook his head, that was not a good direction his thoughts where taking. A bit more of that, and he was so not getting up any time soon.

The piercing ring of a phone interrupted Ylvas speech. "That will be all, anyway, I think.", she said and pulled the appliance from her pocket. "Quinn!", in two strides, she was at the door and without a glance back, she left the room.

"She realy is a weird one.", Mr. Franklin, the driver mused, watching Jack from the corner of his eyes. "No offence."

"None taken.", Jack gave back with an amused huff. "Three days, you said?"

"Yes. We had just taken over the case from local PD, when she strode in, had a talk with Mr. Gates and took over the whole thing. Since then, she has all the men and half the women drooling all over her. Not that she's acting on anything. Too busy with that assistant of hers, I bet.", he shrugged. "I mean, I do see the appeal. Pretty face, blue eyes, you won't believe and so propper with his suits and the 'Yes, Ma'am's in that english accent ...", he stopped himself and closed his eyes. "I am sorry, Captain Harkness. My mouth sometimes get's the better of me."

Jack wasn't listening anymore. His heart had clenched painfully as a wellknown pretty face, with blue eyes you can't believe had popped up in his mind. Yes, he too had been so propper with his suits and the 'Yes, Sir's in that welsh accent ...

-.-.-.-.-

"How are you?", she asked softly, standing in the doorway. From his vantagepoint on the bed in the dark room, she was only a silhouette.

"I remember.", he said quietly, "I died, Ylva."

She ducked her head and exhaled. "I know.", she came over to him and sat on the bed beside him. "I tried to tell you."

He shook his head vaguely, which wasn't easy, lying on his side. "I know ... but now I remember.", in the halflight of the room his eyes where two dark pools. "And I remember him."

-.-.-.-.-

Feedback, please?


	2. Chapter 2

Second chapter with some boring background info. Hope you're still enjoying my ramblings.

Is there anyone willing to beta-read this story. I think I need someone not only to take a look at my grammar (I am not a native speaker), but to tell me if I am still making sense ;)

-.-.-.-.-

It was late, when Ianto finally managed to drudge himself out of bed, only to find the suite he shared with Ylva empty. She wasn't in the sittingroom, nor the bathroom. A draft brought his attention to the slightly open doubledoors, that led to the small balcony.

"Aren't you cold?", he asked her, when he found her standing there, watching the sun go down in nothing more than a pair of hotpants and a skimpy tanktop. Her hair was wet and the scent of chlorine clung to her.

She shook her head and continued to peer into the sunset.

Carefully, he stepped towards her, one hand outstreched, but not daring to touch her. Sometimes, when she was in one of these moods, she scared him. Her face was so young and beautiful, but her eyes looked unbelievably old, in these moments. Older even, than Jacks.

"It's not your fault.", he started quietly. "You did tell me, I just couldn't remember."

"But now you can.", her words where a simple acknowledgement of facts, but her tone cut him deeply. Sad, almost defeated. He had seen her in a lot of diffrent moods and situations over the past four years, but never had he heard something like this from her.

She turned to him and smiled sadly. "Sorry."

"For what, for heavens sake?", he asked incredulously, taking another step towards her. There was less, than half an armslength between them now. "For giving me life? For saving me over and over again? For this?", he made a vague guesture to indicate them both.

"For beeing selfish.", her brows drew together. "Ianto, when he stood before me today ...", she stopped and her gaze dropped to his chest.

Ianto felt something cold settle in his stomach. His hands balled themselves to fists at his side. He was jealous but couldn't quite place of whom.

"He still remembers you, he still loves you. ", she looked back up into his face. "And you still love him. "

"Yes, but ...", she was concerned of loosing him, he realised. It wasn't only his own jealousy he had felt, it had been hers, too.

"No, I could have brought you to him, then you would have remembered and...", he fisted a hand almost roughly in her hair and silenced her with a kiss.

"And what, Cariad*? Robb me ... us of this?", he shook his head vaguely. "I would not change a thing."

All of a sudden, he felt her carefully constructed wards drop and her feelings and thoughts flooded him. When she saved him, somehow they had been bound. The alien presence in his mind, his very soul had disturbed him at first. Her mind was so diffrent from his ... from any human mind and her feelings where so complicated, even after four years it was sometimes hard for him to decipher everything. But now, he felt broken, only half a person, when that presence was not around.

She closed the distance between their bodies and pressed herself against him. Gratefully, he closed his arm around her. "Are you going to tell me how you and Jack know eachother?", he whispered against her hair.

"We ran into eachother a few times when he was still with the Time Agency ... Well, it went the only way it could have gone.", she smirked against his neck.

"The hot and sweaty way?", Ianto asked, amusement in his voice. He leaned his cheek against her crown, images of Jack and Ylva swimming through his head. He couldn't distinguish if it was his fantasy or her memories. His hands moved slowly over her hips, over her arse and back up, under her shirt.

"Yeah.", she breathed, her lips touching the smooth skin where neck met shoulder and he shuddered. "It was the same, everytime. I knew, I shouldn't, that I was even placing him in danger ..."

"I know, he has that effect.", Ianto smiled against her temple, trying to calm his breathing, while his hands stroked her bare back. "Where you in love with him?"

"Hmm.", she hummed, nipping at his shoulder. "I don't know. If I had though, the Order would probably have tried to kill him.", she held up her left hand and examined her wrist, nothing but burned, tattooed skin. He caught her arm and kissed the base of her palm.

"Do you regrett it?"

"No, never!", she smiled up at him, wide eyed. "I'm free, for the first time in my life, I have you by my side, what more could I want?"

"Your powers?", he suggested, raiding his brows.

"That would mean losing you, so: No.", she turned in his arms and stared out into the last remnants of the sunset. "And you?", she asked, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I don't know ... Ylva", he sighed. "Is it possible to love two people at once?", thinking of Jack pained him. Ylva had been right, he was still very much in love with the man and yet, there was nowhere he'd rather be, than right here, with his woman in his arms.

"I think so.", she looked at him from the corner of her eye.

"Any which way I thought about it for the last few hours, I always ended up wishing ...", he stopped and even in the dim light she could see a blush creeping over sharp, high cheekbones.

"You could have us both?", she asked, and his blush deepened and his jaw set in a hard line. "Greedy little bugger!", she laughed and turned, only to find his eyes full of wonder.

"How did I deserve you?", he asked, running his hands through her hair.

Ylva smiled, mischief dancving in her eyes. "Well, you must have been a very bad boy indeed.", his eyes drifted close, when her hand ran down his chest.

"Yes, Ma'am."

-.-.-.-.-

"Yes, Gwen, I'll handle it.", he grinned at the reciever. "Domesticity already grating your nerves?"

"No, I just ... Yeah.", she admitted sheepishly, which made him laugh. "Now, what's with that Quinn-Lady?"

"Nice way to change the subject.", he raked his hand through his hair. "She's a blast from the past ... or more like future."

"You changed the subject on me first, Captain! You realy sure you'll be alright? The way you said it, it sounded serious.", she sounded genuinely worried and Jack asked himself, if he should be, too.

"Yeah. We've handled worse.", when he heard her draw a breath, he cvontinued: "I promise to call you, if I need you."

"Thanks, Jack. It must be late on your side of the globe, right? So, good night."

"Good night, Gwen.", throwing the phone back in his bag, he let himself fall on his bed. "Ylva Quinn.", he said to the twilight around him. Her name was as fake as his, it was merely a discription, haphazardly thrown together from norse and gaelic names and translating roughly as she-wolf and leader, he had found out after spending some long nights with researching the name.

Once they met in 1897 (a grin spread over his face at the mermory. She had looked hot in just that corsett ... maybe she still owned it?) and he had overheard an old priest calling her Lord Uriel. In medieval arabia, a group of men had been talking about her, using the phrase 'malik al-maut', Angel of Death and in scandinavia in 16something a young girl had called her Fenrirsúlfr, a wolf from norse mythology, that would bring down the gods, Jack had learned from evern more research.

At the first two instances, Ylva had just smiled politely and introduced herself with the fake-name-of-the-day. But the look on her face, when the young girl called out and pointed at her ... he would never forgett that look. It was primal, wild, angry and haunted all in one.

Further research had brought up nothing. According to Time Agency files, Ylva was nonexistent. John had laughed at him for his obsession with 'The Wolf-Lady' and then tried to distract him from 'far too much boring research'.

A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. It was probably for the better, if he did not think too much about her. She would pop out of his life again, just as quickly and unexpectedly, as she had popped in ... just as she always did.

Groaning, he got up, when a second knock came. "I'm coming!", he called out. Not bothering to righten his suspenders or even button up his shirt, he yanked open the door.

"Hi.", black almondshaped eyes looked at him a bit sheepishly. "I was wondering if you could use some company."

It took him less than a second to take in the appearance before him and make a decision "Hell, yes.", he pulled the young man through the door by his beltbuckle.

-.-.-.-.-

Next up: a bit of smutt.

*Cariad: Welsh for Darling


	3. Chapter 3

As promised, smutt :)

-.-.-.-.-

Jack relished in Ryuuken Franklins attention. The young man was still a bit inexperienced, but eager and quick to learn.

"Oh, fuck!" , he swore, when Jack pushed into him.

"Such a pretty mouth and such dirty language!", the immortal quipped through clenched teeth, before kissing the other man. The sighs and half-shouts for more egged him on and blessedly took his mind of a pair of sea-green eyes, twinkling at him.

"Jack!", black eyes snapped open at a slight change of angle. "Don't ... ah ... stop!"

"I don't intent to any time soon.", his perfect teeth left an equally perfect impression in the olive skin at Ryuukens shoulder.

-.-.-.-.-

She undid one button at a time, slowly, agonisingly, while fixing him with an unblinking stare. Oh, how she loved his suits. Or more precisely, she loved his suits on him. She never even had considered a clothing item as a fetish (though she really did like Jacks coat), suits on Ianto always made her positively wet. She had to grin at the fact, that this led to a lot of lessons in self control.

"What?", he asked her, with one of his half-smiles.

"Hmmm, I was just thinking, that you look fabulous in a suit.", she smiled back, raising an eyebrow teasingly.

"I know.", was his nonchalant reply. "And do you know, what else I know?", he raised himself up on his elbows, tilting his head to look at her. "That it drives you half-crazy.", he whispered against her lips and felt an inner triumph at the way her breath quickened and he could feel her core twitch against his member. "Tell me, Cariad, what get's you so hot about this welshman in his oh-so-proper suits?"

He knew the glint in her eyes. It was that animalistic, dangerous part, that got him afraid and excited all at once. "The fact, that under those pressed sheets of clothing is this.", she parted his shirt and ran her hands over his chest, the scar from where the claw of an Inbetween-creature had cut him not yet faded. "The fact, that it's me, who can make this oh-so-controlled welshman loose it."

Now it was him, trying to control his breathing. "Then make me!", he prompted, falling back down into the pillows.

-.-.-.-.-

His grip on the young americans hip was bruising, but Ryuuken didn't care even seemed to like the rougher pace, from the way he arched his back. With a hand under his chin Jack pulled his lovers head back until his back was flush against Jacks front.

Yes, this was, what he needed. Not the memories of that damnable woman, who managed to make him fall in love with her each and every time, only to disappear without a word.

The realisation hit him like a cold shower, just when he felt Ryuuken tighten around him. They collapsed onto the bed together, both breathless, hearts racing ... but from diffrent reasons.

Jack felt the other man move and then black eyes where upon his. Ryuuken studied him a second, before his eyes narrowed to critical halfmoons. "Can I use your shower? I ll be quick and then be out of your hair."

Jack blinked rapidly and started to say something, but he was interrupted. "You look like you need a good think, a private think." He leaned in and smiled slightly, his asian heritage now undeniable, Jack made a mental note to look into that. "Thanks, though, I enjoyed myself very much.", and with that, the young man was up and vanished into the small bathroom of Jacks tiny hotelroom.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise. If he was honest with himself, he had known it all along, but again, as it was the case with him far to often, it had taken him far to long to acknowledge it.

Groaning, he got up, when he heard the shower start. Not even three minutes later, the water stopped again, and Jack was standing, clad only in his pants, braces hanging down on the small balcony, overlooking the beach and ocean. He didn t hear Ryuuken dress, but he heard the door close behind him.

In addition to feeling like his heart was going to burst, he felt like an ass.

-.-.-.-.-

"Ianto, please", she whimpered, her nails leaving four angry red trails over his chest.

"Please, what, my dear?", he asked, trying to sound casual, while keeping up his slow, deep rythm.

"You know what, you bastard!", she thrust her hips up helplessly, but he pinned her down with one hand.

"That is not a nice thing to say.", he felt empowered by her reactions to him, it made him bolder, than he would normally be. "You should apologize.", his thrusts became even slower and agonizingly shallow. It was as much torture for him, as for her, but her almost-sob for more made it worth it.

"Oh, please, I need you.", her muscles felt on fire and her insides where coiled tight. Desperately she tried to relieve that tension.

"Just say it, my love. Apologize.", he whispered to her, inhaling sharply, when her nails marred his pale skin once more.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.", she chanted and let out a little yelp, when he plunged into her.

Her screams fueled him, the look of pure rapture on her normally smooth, impassive features was amazing to him.

It hit her first. She felt the world around them shatter, only his blue eyes left of reality. He followed her into oblivion with a growl and a whisper of her name her real name: "Fenris!"

-.-.-.-.-

He didn't know how long he'd been standing outside before he'd plucked up the courage to find his phone and dial her number.

It rang six times and he was about to hang up, when her voice announced: "Quinn?", she sounded hoarse, but allert.

"Oh, did I wake you?", he looked at the clock. 22:03.

He heard the rustling of sheets and a low grumble of protest. Perfect. Really perfect. He'd called her while she was with her lover well, he'd been warned.

"Uh, no.", he heard her laugh quietly and then: "It's Jack and you're lying on my hair.", muffled, as if she'd put her hand over the microphone. More rustling of sheets. "Are you alright?", she asked, sounding slightly concerned.

"No, it ... it's nothing. I didn't want to disturb you. Have a good night.", he tried to sound cheerful, but didn't quite succeed.

"Jack, wait!", he knew the way her voice sounded now. This husky cadence, that meant somebody had screwed her so hard, so good, that she had screamed his name. He didn't really want to listen to her, knowing THAT!

"Nah, I'll see you tomorrow.", his thumb was already on the hang-up button, when her voice stopped him.

"Harkness!", she sounded mildly annoyed and he felt only mildly happy to have ruined that post-coital afterglow.

"What?", he hadn't wanted to sound snappy, really.

"Breakfast, tomorrow, my hotel, tenhundret, be punctual!", she instructed, that half-grin of hers evident in her voice.

"Yes, Ma am.", he said, nodding sharply, though he was quite aware, that she couldn't see. He hung up without a word.

That night, he was haunted by a pair of blue eyes ...

-.-.-.-.-

"Are you going to tell him tomorrow?"

"Do you want me to?", she turned and looked at him, leaning against the bedroom-doorframe naked.

"Yes.", he smiled slightly.

"Then I will tell him tomorrow.", she took a deep breath. "And I will have to tell him, that it's me they're looking for with those pieces of brain."


	4. Chapter 4

How did Ianto and Ylva meet? Well, here you go:

-.-.-.-.-

Flashback:Ylva

The inky darkness of the Inbetween was vibrating around her, it was buzzing with a multitude of voices. First, she thought, that it was the aftermath of the rather hefty blow to the head she'd suffered earlier, but it wouldn't stop.

She concentrated and had soon located the source. Quietly, she slipped through the Veil into a dimension, that was so well known to her. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. His scent clung in the air and she smiled. Maybe … but there was something she needed to do first.

The room she was in was pitch black, though she had no trouble finding her way to the small door, about three to three feet, from where the strange voices came. She knew, that behind it, she would find a body, dead. She'd been here twice before.

With a guesture of her hand, she opened the cryo-unit and black bodybag therein and she felt her heart stop for a split second. She knew the face of the young man. His eyes where closed, though she knew, that they would be blue. A deep, vibrant blue. The voices where deafening now and she new. They where echoes. Echoes of the grief, pain, anger, love, friendship connected to the man before her.

She felt a sob force it's way through her throat and tears sting her eyes. It hadn't been his time, it wasn't right. Slowly, she leant forward until her lips touched his and with brute force, she tore through to the faint spark.

It wasn't a consciousness anymore, only instinct left, but she knew, she could pull him back. She reached out, and felt him reach for her in return. "Let me bring you back.", she whispered in his mind, and that little spark got brighter. "Ianto Jones, come back!"

Still no conscious thought, but a question. "I am a friend.", she told him. "You are so sorely missed, come back with me."

"Yes.", he replied, still weak.

"There is one condition!", she knew, that it was the only way, to bind his soul to hers … forever. Her mind told her to stop, to leave him in the darkness, but her heart … oh her heart screamed, yearned, longed for him. "You will have to bind yourself to me." She tried to show him, to make clear, what that would mean for him, but he shouted, loud and clear: "YES!"

So she reached deeper, pulled that spark back into his body and bound it to herself. With a gasp, he awoke and she felt his presence fill her mind, just as her own presence would fill his. Another gesture and a dim light illuminated the room.

"Ylva.", he said quietly, something between a statement and a question, but before she could reply, she felt her left wrist burn. She had to leave here, something was happening, and it would not do, if it happened here, in the morgue of Torchwood Cardiff.

With her right hand, she reached out for him and let herself fall backwards through the Veil, pulling him with her. On the other side, back in the blackness of the Inbetween, the burning lessened. "Breathe, keep breathing.", she told him, her voice strained. "Look at me, Ianto.", and he did. His eyes two windows into a blue abyss and she couldn't breathe anymore herself.

Desperately, she groped at the Veil for a way to get out, into reality until they fell. The landing was hard and drove whatever air had been left in her lungs out. The burning started again and in the blink of an eye, she felt like her whole body was on fire. She screamed!

When the pain ended, she was in Iantos arms, feeling the residual warmth of his kiss on her lips.

"Hi.", he said, sounding a bit breathless, the marks of bitter tears on his beautiful cheeks.

She felt nauseous and cold and … something wasn't right. She lifted her left arm. Gleipnir, the shackle, that had bound her for the last millenia was gone. Instead, her tattooed skin was angry read, like she'd been burned.

Where she should have felt relieve, she felt emptiness. A big, black hole, where her heart should have been. But as she was examining the wound, she felt it heal into a big ugly scar. His presence in her mind filled her, overtook her, made her whole … almost.

-.-.-.-.-

Flashback: Ianto

The first thing he remembered after waking up where green eyes. The most amazing green eyes, he'd ever seen. He knew, he'd never seen these eyes before, though he knew who they belonged to. "Ylva.", he tested the strange name and immediately was pulled with her. For a moment, he felt, like he was falling and then he felt like he was plunged into ice-cold ink.

He couldn't breathe, he couldn't see … "Breathe, keep breathing.", he wasn't sure, if he actually heard her voice, or if it was just in his head. "Look at me, Ianto.", the voice was definitely in his head. SHE was in his head. He opened his eyes.

She looked strained, like she was under extreme stress. He felt a pain, that didn't seem to belong to himself.

Again, he felt like falling and this time, he actually was. He landed on his side on pavement beside her, but the pain in his shoulder and hip was insignificant to the pain he could feel radiating from her.

With a bit of an effort, he pushed himself up and reached for her, but before he could touch her, she started to scream. That scream was completely inhuman in it's pain. She lay on her back, her muscles in her whole body where so tense, he thought, he could see every one of them.

On her left wrist was something like a bracelet made of what looked like molten metal. It glowed white hot and when he tried to touch it, he almost burned himself.

Fiercely, he wiped away the tears, that streaked down his cheeks and gathered her body against his. Around them, stacked high where shipping containers, nobody in sight. He tried to lift her up, but found his legs gave out. He felt nausea rise and collapsed.

"Please. Ylva, I'm here.", he stroked her head, his fingers running through her hair and whispering calming nonsense to her, until her screaming, crying, suffering stopped. She was completely still.

"No, no, no, don't do that to me.", he choked, searching frantically for a pulse, but found none. Fresh tears streamed down his face. He pulled her towards him and kissed her. "Please, don't … ", her eyes flew open and stared blankly up, through him. She drew a shuddering breath and her gaze focused on him. "Hi.", he smiled.

For a moment, she didn't say anything, but lifted her arm, where the glowing bracelet had been. Her pale-white skin there was burned. She looked at the wound for a moment, then looked at him: "I am human!", she stated incredulously.

-.-.-.-.-

He woke up with a headache. The memory had felt real again in his dreams, looking over, Ylva was looking straight at him. Without exchanging a word, he knew, she had relived their first meeting in her dreams, too.

"I am human.", she had said back then. And while that was not entirely true, she still retained few of her abilities, he was amazed, that she'd given up what she was, for him. He remembered only vaguely, how they got themselves settled in a small motel near the docks that night. She had tried to explain to him, who he was. The names Torchwood, Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper hadn't meant anything to him back then.

Somehow, he knew, that what she had said was true, but he didn't feel anything. It was a bit like he'd seen the movie, but it didn't feel like it had happened to him. Now, he felt it. He remembered.

"Are you alright?", she asked softly and snuggled close to him. Her body still deliciously warm from sleep and her hair a beautiful mess of copper coloured silk.

"It all feels … unreal, somehow.", he propped himself up on one elbow and let his hand roam from her thigh over her hip towards her waist.

"Yeah, I bet.", she sighed. "Do you still want me to tell him?"

"It's been so long and yet, I feel like just a few hours ago, I lay dying in his arms.", he felt a sadness, that was not his own. "I don't know, what to do, love."

"I will let you go, if that is, what you want!", she whispered, straining against the tears trying to choke her. Why on earth did she have to go and fall in love with him? She had been a fool to think, that this could last. He didn't belong with her, he belonged with him.

"But it's NOT what I want.", he said, sounding somewhat like a petulant child. "And don't give me that crap about the Bond!"

"I won't.", slowly, she disentangled herself from the bedsheets and got up. At the door she turned and considered him for a moment. "What you said yesterday.", she started, tilting her head to the side. "About having us both. Did you mean it?"

Ianto, half sitting up in bed stared at her. He hadn't given it serious thought. "I … don't know.", her mind was whirling, he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

-.-.-.-.-

Review, pleeeeeease!


	5. Chapter 5

Ok, trying to get things in order, with our three lovelies.

-.-.-.-.-

Ylva hadn't talked to him much, after her strange question in their room earlier. Now he was sitting at the back of the restaurant, watching her, watching the door, waiting for Jack.

He felt their combined anticipation like a physical ache in his chest and when the door opened and he saw the well known greatcoat, his heart literally skipped. Jack looked the same, he hadn't changed. Even the toothy grin he gave her was still the same.

Ylva smiled back, gesturing for him to sit opposite from her, with his back to Ianto. Knowing, that Jack and Ylva had been lovers somewhat excited him. He watched their flirting glances, while they waited for their breakfast.

When Jack touched her hand … her left hand, it felt, like he had touched Ianto. The realisation came quite sudden. Yes, he wanted them both and when Ylvas eyes met his over Jacks shoulder, he knew: so did she.

-.-.-.-.-

Something was bothering Ylva, he could tell.

"When are you going to drop the bomb?", he asked, touching her hand. The one, where he knew her 'leash' should be.

She breathed deeply and took a sip of her tea. Grimacing, she put down the cup. "Americans just don't know how to prepare tea.", Ylva shook her head, her long braid falling over her shoulder. "It's not an easy thing.", she sighed. "And I don't really know where to start."

"How about at the beginning?", he suggested softly.

"See, and that wouldn't be a good idea.", she smiled ruefully. "It's a long story. There is one thing, I need to ask of you."

"Everything.", he said, a bit too quickly.

"Keep calm, listen to me till the end, yes?", Ylvas eyes where serious.

"I promise.", Jack answered, transfixed by the weight in her voice.

"Four years ago, I did something, that robbed me of nearly all my abilities, I am, for all intents and purposes no less human, than you.", she smiled, knowing, he would get it. "It was the price I had to pay for my freedom … and for a life!"

Jacks eyebrows knitted together. He had known, that she was some kind of pretty powerful being. A timetraveller, much like him at least, maybe even able to travel between dimensions. "A life?"

"Yes. The life of Ianto Jones.", she said, quietly.

It took Jack all of three seconds to connect the dots. "Why … how … ", a million thoughts ran through his mind and he didn't know where to start, his hand clutching the edge of the table tightly.

"He didn't remember, but he does now.", she reached over, but he snatched away his hand.

"And you didn't think to tell me, that my lover was still alive.", his voice was dangerously calm. "You knew. I know you saw us, that last time at the Quay."

"Yes, I did.", she said, a quiver in her voice. Her eyes drifted from Jacks upwards to somewhere above his left shoulder, just before a warm hand landed on that exact shoulder.

-.-.-.-.-

Ianto had seen Jack tense and without hearing, what he had said, he knew, something had gone wrong.

With a few strides, he stood behind Jack. He saw Ylvas eyes leave Jacks and drift up to his, he smiled and placed his hand on Jacks shoulder.

"It wasn't her fault, Jack.", he said softly. In the blink of an eye, Jack was out of his seat and had Ianto wrapped in his arms. Ianto felt him inhale deeply.

"You're making a scene, Sir.", Ianto whispered, trying to stay calm himself, pressing his eyes closed against rising tears.

When Jack withdrew and Ianto opened his eyes again, Ylva had gone. Feeling panic rise, he looked around the room, but she was nowhere to be seen, instead he felt a whisper in his head. "Enjoy your reunion."

"I need you.", he shouted in his head, but was unsure if it reached her, but when he felt Jacks lips on his, the panic subsided ever so slightly. Amongst weird glances from other guests, he dragged Jack up to his and Ylvas room.

When the door slammed close behind him, he was swepped up in Jacks arms again. "Ianto.", the taller man whispered in his ear, and it was hard to distinguish whose tears they where, that wetted his cheeks first.

"She wanted to take me to you.", Ianto said, sliding his hands under Jacks coat. "I couldn't. I couldn't bear look at you and not recognise you."

"So, it's true?", Jack asked, leaning his forehead against Iantos. "You lost your memory."

"Yes … when she told me, you where coming here, yesterday … everything was back. I don't know, what was diffrent now from the first time, she told me about you and Torchwood. It triggered something, and I remember. And I am so sorry for leaving you alone like that."

Jack kissed him again. "You will just have to make it up to me.", he grinned through his drying tears, but all of a sudden, that grin faltered, when Jack seemed to remember something. "You are with her.", it wasn't a question. He released Ianto from his embrace and took a step back, he let his eyes wander around the room, take in the diffrent pieces of clothing scattered in a line from the balcony to the bedroom.

"Yes.", Ianto stated simply.

Jack seemed to stagger a moment, before he collapsed onto the couch. "She does it everytime.", he said hoarsely.

"Does what?", Ianto asked, kneeling down in front of the older man.

"Fuck with my head … my heart, that's what she does.", he roared, his hands clutching his knees.

Ianto looked down at the floor. He could imagine, what Jack meant. This was harder, than he thought. "I love you.", he said, quietly, still not looking at that other, lighter pair of blue eyes.

"This is … Yesterday, I realised, that I loved her", Jack started just as quietly. "I probably have since meeting her for the first time. And here you are. The one man, who stole my heart completely."

Ianto looked up, surprised.

"This is fucked.", Jack shot up and strode for the door.

"Jack, please, stay. Talk to me.", Ianto sat back and leaned against the coffeetable.

"About what?", the immortal did not turn. "What am I to expect?"

Sighing, Ianto got up. "Just listen for a minute, ok?", Jack didn't answer, but he didn't move either. "I know, it's … unusual, to say the least, but I love you, just as I love Ylva. You are the man from the 51st century, shouldn't you be the one to be ok with something like this?"

Jack turned, slowly. He raised his hands slightly, a helpless gesture, that nearly broke Iantos heart. "I don't know."

"Didn't you just tell me, that you are in love with both of us.", Ianto smiled, very slightly.

"Maybe", a soft, female voice drifted in, from the balcony. Ylva sauntered in, barefoot, but still clad in the black army-pants and grey t-shirt, she'd worn at breakfast. "Maybe I should tell you something, before you make a decision.", her eyes where fixed on Jack, whose whole posture was tense. "I am sorry, so sorry, for what I've done to you."

Ianto felt himself holding his breath. His mind reached out to Ylva, who opened up to him so completely, that it took him a great deal of strength to stay upright.

"I had to leave you, to protect you.", she held up her hand and pulled back the sleeve of her shirt. Her wrist was scarred, where the shackle had been. "I was something of a better slave to a very, very powerful organisation. They had threatened to kill you more than once, should I ever fall in love with you. I was selfish, I know that. Those little romps we had, was the only thing I could allow myself, though I shouldn't have. I never really saw, that I was hurting you. For that, I am sorry."

"What are you saying?", Jack asked and through Ylvas eyes, Ianto saw him shaking.

"I am asking, Jack.", Ianto did not know whose words they where, but he realised it was Ylvas mouth, that spoke them. "I am asking you to forgive me."

-.-.-.-.-

Jack took two steps towards Ylva, before he could ask himself, if he would regret this decision later. He reached out and pulled her face towards his with his hands on either side of her jaw. His kiss was hard, punishing, but Ylva let it happen.

There it was again, that surge, that always went through his body, when they kissed. A mental tendril probed at his mind, something that had freaked him out to no end the first time, now it was familiar, welcome.

He let her in, but the feeling was diffrent.

"Jack.", the voice, that whispered his name was not Ylvas, it was Iantos.

Jack pulled away from the kiss and looked around, almost disoriented, until he met the smiling eyes of Ianto Jones. "You two have a whole lot of explaining to do!", his eyes flicked back and forth between the woman in his arms and the man he had believed dead for four years.

-.-.-.-.-

Too confusing? I hope not.


	6. Chapter 6

More background info :)

I'm still desperately looking for a betareader. If you are interested, just PM me :)

-.-.-.-.-

Ylva and Jack had settled on the small couch of the suite, while Ianto went and called roomservice for breakfast. he could feel them both watching him intently and felt a shiver ran through him.

"Breakfast for three, please.", he stated the roomnumber and threw a look over his shoulder. There was still a tension there, between those two people he had come to love. Ylva smiled at him, a nonverbal reassurance, Jacks face was full of wonder. When he placed the reciever down, Jack asked: "How did this all happen?", he had his confidant, almost cocky attitude back, one arm was thrown over the back of the couch, his hand absentmindedly playing with the tip of Ylvas braid. Neither of them seemed to notice, so Ianto decided not to comment on it and just took a seat in the armchair closest to Jack.

"Aparently, every death will create an echo.", Ianto locked eyes with Ylva, who nodded for him to go on. "My death … was to loud to ignore.", he smiled at Jack, who gave a wide grin.

"I couldn't ignore it.", Ylva continued. "And when I realised, who he is, I took the chance."

"Yes, but what did you do?", Jack studied Iantos face, trying to find a flaw, trying to see, if he had changed, but found only the very familiar features.

Ylva took a deep breath. She had never shared this with anyone. Even Ianto only knew, that they where connected, not how, not why … and she was still unsure if he understood the depth of their connection. "It's a mental and physical bond. Originally the purpose of this Bond was to create the perfect team of mercenaries.", her gaze flicked back and forth between two pairs of blue eyes. Both men where listening intently. "Think of it: communication that can not be interrupted by technological means. Diffrent individuals, but of one mind, working in perfect synch."

Jack turned to look at Ianto, studying him once again. "You can feel, what she feels?"

He nodded, still looking at Ylva. A silent conversation seemed to take place, the content of which Jack could not figure out.

Then, very slowly, Ianto rose and shrugged out of his jacket. "The connection goes further.", he continued to explain. "Every injury, that is severe enough is shared amongst the partners of the Bond.", he unbuttoned his vest and let it fall with the jacket, Jack watched him, transfixed by the deliberate movements of those pale fingers.

Ianto was still looking at Ylva. He opened the dark blue dress-shirt and revealed a foot long red scar, that started under his right pectoral and ended above his navel.

His eyes snapped to Jack and then wandered purposefully to Ylva. Jack followed his gaze and was met with the sight of a very similar, but lighter scar on Ylvas pale, flat stomach.

Jack looked back and forth, until Ylva lowered her top again and Ianto started to button up again.

"You could say, that's a designflaw.", Ylva smiled slightly and Ianto shrugged, continuing: "It's the downside to the second major point of the system. None of us can die, while the other still lives."

"That's the highend version of what you've been doing to me.", Jack declared. "Oh, Ianto, I am jealous!"

Ianto looked down, the faintest of blushes creeping over his cheeks. He didn't see Jack reach out and pull him over. He almost fell, but managed to hold onto Jacks shoulders, before crashing into the other man. "You really are back.", Jack murmurred against his lips, before kissing him, deeply. He stopped, when he heard Ylva suck in a lungfull of air. "And you really can feel, what the other experiences.", he assessed, taking in her flushed cheeks and pulling Ianto onto his lap playfully.

"Yes, very … vibrantly.", she touched her lips absentmindedly, which made Jack grin like the proverbial cheshire cat. "The possibilities.", he chuckled and reached over to her. Only too willingly, she let him guide her into a kiss, that made Ianto squirm.

The dull rumbling of a cellphones vibration alarm interrupted them. "That's mine.", Ylva jumped of the couch, prompting both men to groan in frustration.

"Quinn? … Yes. ... Secure the perimeter, we will be there in ten.", her voice had lost its softness and was all business now. "Breakfast's cancelled.", she told them, when she'd hung up.

Quickly Ianto dove for his vest and jacket. "I'll get the car.", and in a whirl of midnight blue, he was out the door.

Jack watched Ylva straighten her clothes and throw some things into a black messenger bag: Keys, cables, her cell and a small tablet computer. "Choppchopp, Mister!", she said, heading for the door.

With two fluid movements, she slipped into a pair of black, heavy boots and took a leather jacket from the hanger.

When her hand landed on the doorhandle, Jack was already behind her. "It's personal.", he observed, and she realised, that she hadn't told him yet.

"Yes, it is.", she pulled the door open and flitted past the page with their breakfast.

"Sorry, mate.", Jack said. "Breakfast's cancelled."

Jack caught up to Ylva at the frontdoor, where Ianto was already waiting with a black SUV. With a practised movement, he threw her a matte black motorcycle helmet. "See you there.", he told her and opened the car door. "Get in!", he said to Jack, who looked incredulously after Ylva, who had sprinted around the corner of the hotel.

"Where …", he started, thrusting a thumb in her direction, but he was interrupted.

"Get in the car!", Ianto had already taken the driverseat and was about to slam the door close, but pushed it open again: "Sir.", he added, as an afterthought, a humorous glint in his ocean coloured eyes.

Smiling, Jack took the passenger seat and was about to slam the door, when a black and silver motorcycle whizzed past them

"Try to keep up.", he heard Ylvas voice from the speakers.

-.-.-.-.-

Soooo, next time: CSI, Torchwoodstyle.


	7. Chapter 7

Jack learns a bit about Ylva. Hopefully, you will get a bit curious, too ;)

-.-.-.-.-

"A Motorcycle, really?", Jack asked and slammed the door behind him, but Ylva just stalked past him, throwing her helmet over the hood of the car to Ianto.

"It's … complicated, Jack.", Ianto tried a weak smile and placed the helmet on the driverseat before locking the car. "We will explain.", he promised the increasingly worried looking immortal.

Jack had never seen Ylva loose her cool. He'd seen her stressed, pissed, in the throes of passion, but never like this. He placed a hand on Iantos shoulder: "Do I have to worry about her? Or you?"

Again, a faint smile: "I hope not.", Ianto placed a hand on Jack's and ran his thumb over it. "But I am worried."

"She really isn't as she used to anymore.", Jack looked after her as she picked her way through the crowd of onlookers. "Something got lost."

Ianto nodded and looked at his shoes. "She says it's ok and sometimes, I believe her. But then … she was something magnificent, Jack.", when he looked up, Jack felt a lump in his throat. Iantos eyes where wide, bright and tears shimmered in them. "She was … but now she isn't anymore. She is used to travelling dimensions, she was able to control the Void, how can she be OK, trapped here with me?"

Jack leaned in and placed a light kiss on the other mans lips: "You tend to do that to people.", he smiled, took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. "Let's get going, before she get's herself into any more trouble.", he tried to put a lightness in his step, that he sure as hell did not feel.

Traveling dimensions … controlling the Void … they would have to talk about that later.

-.-.-.-.-

The body was just like the others and just like the others, Ylva remembered the face. It was one of the young barristas, who worked at the coffeeshop where she had gotten her tea every morning for the last for month, since Ianto and her had decided to stay here for a while.

They where getting so close and something would have to be done about this. She knew how the Keeper-Agents worked. They wouldn't give up, until they had found their prey … her. Or until they where dead.

She felt Ianto aproaching, his worry almost suffocating to her. She knew, he couldn't help it, if the situation had been reversed, she would have worried her head off, too. To him it was probably worse.

Despite all his encounters with aliens and general weirdness at Torchwood, he was out of his depth here.

She turned, slightly and looked up to the two men, she had obviously lost her heart to. She hoped desperately, that they would be alright.

Something tugged at her consciousness, almost like the reflection of a mirrored surface, seen from the corner of the eye. She looked around.

"Are you alright, Miss Quinn?", the ME asked her. She was a pretty blonde, with chocolate coloured eyes, in her thirties. Ylva had enjoyed flirting with her, just to see her cheeks flush prettily, now Ylva threw her a silencing glare.

-.-.-.-.-

Jack may not have been connected to either Ianto or Ylva, but he noticed the change in their demeanor immediately. Ylva was first. Her crouch turned into an almost predatory posture. Like a wolf, ready to charge. He wouldn't have been surprised to see her snarl.

Then, just a second later, Ianto tensed, a muscle in his jaw jumped and he cocked his head, almost as if listening to something Jack would probably never be able to hear.

Almost as a reflex, Jacks hand wandered to his Webley, but Iantos slightly raised hand stopped him. Too many eyes on them.

Ylva stood up, obviously trying to look casual, but the set of her jaw and shoulders told Jack otherwise. She threw them a quick look, that clearly said: Stay put! and then walked over to the tape on the other side of the crime scene. The police officers lifted it for her and she threaded through the crowd, avoiding the questions of the media quite effectively.

Jack looked over at Ianto, who was worrying his bottom lip with his teeth, torn between the command given to him and the concern for her. "Screw this, I am not letting her out of my sight!", Jack stated, heading after her.

Somehow, it was much more difficult for him to get through the mass of people. He had to push and shove, where Ylva had just glided through … as if the people had made way for her, subconciously.

A look back showed, that Ianto was following him. He too didn't seem to have much problem, so he caught up to Jack quickly. "She's going to have our asses for this.", he stated, took Jacks hand and tugged him through the crowd.

"How did you do that?", Jack asked the younger man, who threw him a sassy smile. "Aura of the wolf.", he said, shrugging slightly.

Ylva was stalking down a little alley between two buildings, her whole body ready to fight.

Ianto set of after her. "Whatever you see, please don't get involved.", he pleaded with Jack, who nodded, but was pretty sure he would not be able to keep that promise.

Jack skidded to a halt at the mouth of the alley. Ylva stood 30feet from them, her arms out to the sides, slightly crouched and facing a hunk of a man in jeans and a grey shirt. He was tall, muscular and had something scandinavian about him.

"Come back with me, like a good dog.", he spat, sneering at Ylva, his eyes flickering over her shoulder to Jack and Ianto. "If you come quietly, your little pets won't be harmed."

"Could you get any more cliché?", Ylva asked, her voice dripping with hostility. "You have no power over me anymore!"

"Now who's cliché, Fenris?", the hunk tutted and shook his head, when Ylva growled. A sound, that was not entirely human and send shivers down Jacks spine.

He felt alarmbells go off in his head. Again, this name …

"They called you Vánagandr once, what are you now?", again a sneer. "God's where afraid of you, the Inbetween bowed to your every whim, you where the best of us. Now you are merely human.", he spoke this with unbelievable disgust. "And for what?", he pointed to Jack and Ianto.

"Yes, I am merely human, so what are you afraid of?", Ylva swept her hands over herself. "I couldn't bring on your oh-so-feared Ragnarók if I wanted to. Why don't you just leave me alone?"

From one blink of an eye to the next, the blonde hunk was in front of Ylva and Jack had his weapon out and pointed at him. Over Ylvas head, the stranger smiled at him: "Oh, what are you going to do.", he chuckled slightly and looked down at the woman, still holding her ground bravely: "Why would we let you go?", he bowed down and whispered to her, so neither of the two men watching could understand.

Without a sound, the stranger vanished in a black mist and Ylva collapsed to the floor.

-.-.-.-.-

Hope you liked, please leave a review. I hope to get a few more chapters online, before leaving for holiday next weekend.

Thanks to all of you who commented, subscribed, favorited, I realy do appreciate it. *hugs all around*


	8. Chapter 8

Hi guys. Are you still with me? Sorry this took so long. Between work, a vacation and being sick, I kinda lost motivation for a short while. Hope you all still enjoy.

-.-.-.-

Ianto reacted first. He crossed the distance to Ylva in a run and fell to his knees beside her. Jack followed in a similar manner just a split second later.

Ianto, for once not minding the neatness of his suit had gathered Ylva to him. "Come on, Cariad, open your eyes.", he whispered and Ylva did, tentatively.

"I'm sorry.", she sounded very tired.

"For what?", Jack asked, stroking her cheek.

"It's ok.", Ianto said, smiling down at her. "We're ok, don't worry. You need rest.", he placed a fleeting kiss to her brow and with just that, Jack realised how close those two where. It was not just that Bond. Despite the tightness in his throat, Jack reached over and touched Ianto's hand.

"Let's get her to the hotel.", watching Ianto nod and pick up the unmoving body of his lover, Jack couldn't help but smile bitterly. It was his own fault, realy. His cowardice was the reason he'd never had this with Ianto. Ylva had been safe, in a way. He had been able to blame her, she'd been the one to leave everytime, after all.

"Jack?", Ianto caled softly. He looked lost, somehow, standing there with her held closely to his chest, the knees of his trousers stained from the dirty puddles on the floor of the alley.

"Coming!", Jack called back and followed them. "Will she be alright?"

"Yes, she's far from how strong she used to be. Facing Them takes it out of her real bad."

"Them?", Jack raised his eyebrows and threw a look over his shoulder where the blond stranger had stood.

Ianto adjusted Ylva in his arms and started for the SUV. "Void creatures.", he answered quietly, without looking at Jack.

"So it IS true? She can travel to other dimensions, through the Void?"

Ianto looked at him, seriously: "Could.", he corrected. "It's all very..."

"Complicated.", Jack finished for him. "Did she tell you? Or do you just ... know, with that Bond and all."

"Both, I guess.", to their left, the crowd around the crime scene seemed to have doubled and a bunch of UNIT Agents where trying to controll the media and onlookers. "She never intentionally kept anything of her past, her identity from me.", Ianto's tone was level, but his words where intended to cut.

And they did, deeply.

"I'm sorry.", Jack said after a pause, but Ianto just shook his head. This was a conversation for another time.

"Get Ylva to the hotel.", he handed Jack the car keys. "The keycard is in her bag.", he set Ylva to her feet, but held her firmly around the waist. "I'll come as soon as possible.", Ianto's eyes bore into Ylva's and Jack couldn't help but feel like there was more said, than he could hear, because Ylva nodded faintly.

Ianto had pulled a second helmet from the back of the SUV and a set of keys from Ylvas messenger bag after they had gotten her settled on the passengerseat. Then, he'd stalked off, to where Ylva had parked her motorbike. Jack chanced a glance at her and found her eyes open and looking at him. "Sorry, I snapped at you earlier."

"You seem to be apologizing a whole lot today.", she answered drily. "It's alright. I would probably have tried to shoot me or do other bodily harm.", her smile was only a halfhearted imitation of her usual lopsided grin he so adored. "He begged me not to tell you. I think, in a way, he knew, that you where close."

Jack nodded, staring at the street. "I'd have gone crazy, with him there but not there, if you know what I mean.", again, his eyes darted over to her. "I'm not sure, how diffrent the current situation is from that, though."

"Very.", she sounded weak, sleepy. "He is so very much in love with you."

"And you?", Jack asked, without thinking, but got no reply. When he looked over, her head had lolled limply to the side, and she was unconcious.

-.-.-.-.-

Ianto was already waiting in front of the hotel, when Jack arrived. He pulled open the door and helped Ylva out, while Jack was already fishing for the keycard to their room.

"It's getting too close.", Ylva whispered to Ianto, while they followed Jack through the entrance hall.

"What do you want to do?", he answered, his words toneless. She heard him more in her head, than with her ears.

"What we always do.", she looked at him earnestly, emerald met saphire. Ianto nodded.

-.-.-.-.-

When they had gotten Ylva settled in bed, Ianto and Jack fell down on the couch. "Ok.", Jack started, looking straight at Ianto. "Whatever this is, it's trouble. These murders, they have to do with Ylva.", it wasn't a question, Ianto nodded anyway. "Her ... employers didn't likem that she went awol and now they're looking for her.", again, no question, but a nodd. Jack took a deep breath. "You've been running from them the entire time, haven't you?"

"Yes.", Ianto smiled feebly. "There is not much else, we can do. We ... Ylva tried fighting, she can't win, not anymore."

"What happened?", Jack asked, scooting closer to the other man.

"Just a guess, but I think, that the shackle didn't recognise her anymore, when she bound us, so it released her. But all her abilities where sort of connected to that shackle, so she lost them.", he sighed.

-.-.-.-.-

Ylva dreamed. She seldomly did so on her own, without Ianto.

She was standing infront of the High Court. Odin perched on his throne, below him, to his right sat Hugin and Munin, their black hair shimmering faintly in the halflight of the room. They had chosen female bodies. Lush, voluptuos, with big eyes and full lips, that gave them a perpetual pout. To Odins left, on the steps to his throne sat Geri and Freki. They where both smiling at her.

She had always been friends with the two wolfs. They where made similarly, probably the closest to brothers she would ever have.

"Child.", Odin said, a smile on his ancient face. "You have done us all proud.", he stood up and came down to her. "No other construct has done so much for the safety of the worlds, as you have. And you did it on your own, no less.", his huge hands came to rest on her shoulders and Ylva felt herself smile up at him.

The scene in front of her shifted slightly. The Court, the vague shadows high behind Odins throne where gone. Hugin was perched on the high back of the gnarled seat, while her sister leaned casually against it. Geri and Freki where gone, as was the smile on Odins face. His hands where suddenly very heavy. He pressed her down onto her knees.

"You dissappoint me, child!", his voice was dark and angry. "I will warn you one last time. Leave that human alone! He distracts you and if you continue, you will bring the attention of the Doctor on us!"

Ylva nodded. "I will stop my relations with Captain Jack Harkness, imediately. I swear."

It was the first time, she had broken an oath.

-.-.-.-.-

Reviews pleeeeeeease? *big puppydog eyes*


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